Water level recorder



l May 7. 1935- v J. c. STEVENS 2,000,046

WATER LEVEL RECORDER May 7, 1935. J c STEVENS 2 ,046

WATER LEVEL RECORDER Flled June 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 7, 1935. J, C. STEVENS WATER LEVEL RECORDER Filed June 16, 1931 t 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 7, 1935. .1. c. STEVENS WATER LEVEL RECORDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 16, 1931 Patented May 7, 1935 PATENT OFFICE a WATER lLEVEL RECORDER .lohn C.4 Stevens, Portland, Oreg., assignor to Leupold, Volpel & Co., Portland, Oreg., .a corporation of Oregon Application June 16, 1931, Serial No. 544,751

4Claims.

My invention relates to water level recorders and particularly to a water level recorder in which a float operated recording pencil travels on 'a clock regulated strip of recording paper and furnishes m visible and permanent graphu of changes in water or other liquid levels.

'I'he particular objects of this invention are to manufacture a water level recorder in which the more delicate parts are hermetically enclosed; in which all slipping of the recording paper on .the recording drum is eliminated; in which a novel takeup roller is employed; in which the recording carriage is provided with an improved reversing mechanism; in which a new paper 'positioner is used; in'which a novel float line eliminates all slip and permits records of unusually large variation in water levels without appreciable error.

Other objects and advantages are to be found in the construction and arrangement of parts as will be described in the specification and particularly pointedvout in the appended claims.

I attain these objects with the mechanism,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inI

which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the entire mechanism with the cover, the table, and the recording paper removed.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. l with wall removed.

Fig. 3 is a section through Fig. 1 along the line -3, but showing the recording paper, the table and the cover in place.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the record 35 ing carriage.

' Fig. 5 is a front view of the cycloidal cam in the recording carriage.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the takeup roller.

7 is a section through Fig. 6 along the line Fig. 8 is a detail of the joint between the sid walls and the cover. l

Fig. 9 is a detail of the recording paper.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of -the table.

Fig. l1 is a detail of the sheave.

Fig. 12 is a detail of the float line.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

'Theoat |I in Fig. 2 rises and falls with the water level. The iloat line 2 leads over -a sheave 3 and is heldthereon by a weight 4 at'the other end of the float line 2. In order to record variations of |25 feet or more in water levels, without appreciable error due to excessive v weight and to slipping 0f the float line 3. the latter is the front v riage 2| as shown at 24.

composed of a very thin and strong cable, on which are threaded small brass balls 5 y (Fig. l2) after the latter are properly spaced, they are compressed in a spherical die so as' to retain their places on the oat line 2` by friction; the 5 sheave 3 as seen in Fig. ll is provided with corresponding recesses or holes 6 for the reception of the brass balls 5, so that the light weight and flexibility of a cable is combined with the positive driving power of a chain and sprocket wheel. l0

Referring to Fig. 1 the sheave 3 is supported in suitable bearings I on the base plate 8, and drives a sprocket wheel 9 and an endless sprocketchain III to which latter is attached a laterally projecting carrier pin Il. 'Ifhe other end of the 15 sprocket chain III is supported by a. sprocket wheel I2 on the oscillating arm I3 and held under constant tension by a spring Il. A set screw I5 pressing against the oscillating arm I3 reduces excessive tension in the sprocket chain I 0 and thereby eliminates as much as possible any lag due to friction.

Parallel to the sprocket chain I0 are two rails I6 and I1, one above the other and mounted on suitable supports I8 and I3. Mounted on the rails I6 and II by the wheels 20 is a-recording carriage 2| which is drawn back and forth by the carrier pin in the sprocket chain IIJ. Since the carrier pin II is sometimes in the upper and sometimes in the lower run of the sprocket chain I0 yet the movement of the recording carriage 2| should proceed at an even ratio to the lateral limits of the graph and the recording carriage then positively be carried on its `backward course, the carrier'pin is guided in the recording'carriage 2| by a cycloidal cam 22 of which the details are lshown in Figs. 4 and 5.

This cycloidal cam 22 is attached to the stem of an inverted T-lever 23 which latter is pivot 40 ally attached to the back of the recording car- The two horizontal arms of the T-lever 23 areactuated by the switch plates 25 (Fig. 1) at each end of the lower rail I1 in the following manner: as the left arm of the T-lever 23v (Fig. 2) slides under the left switch plate and is depressed thereby, the cycloidal cam l22 is thrown toward the left of the opening in the'recording carriage 2|, and leaves at tion of the cycloidal cam 22 is produced when 55 is depressed by the switch plate 25 on the right hand side of the rail I1.

It is clear that any sagging of the upper run of the sprocket chain l0, if the carrier pin happens to be in the upper run, would permit said carrier pin to descend more or less into the cyclodal curve and thereby to introduce errors in the record. To avoid any such contingency, the upper run of the sprocket chain Il) is upheld by an adiustable cross arm 26 on the stand 21 which latter is mounted on the base plate 8. The cross arm 26 is held in adjusted position by a set screw 28.

The weighted pencil holder 29 (Fig. 3) presses the stylus or pencil 30 against the recording drum 3|. This recording drum is mounted on a shaft 32 (Fig. in suitable bearings 33 and driven by a Weight 34 on the cable'drum 34 through the intermediacy of a large gear 35 on the cable drum 34 and a small gear 36 on the recording drum 3| The rotation of the small gear 36 is however regulated by a suitable clock mechanism 36. It should further be stated that connection between the small gear 36 and the recording drum 3| is not rigid but rather by friction, so that the recording drum 3| can be independently rotated by means of a hand Wheel 31 which is firmly connected with the recording drum 3|. This permits the operator to set the recording paper 38 on the recording drum 3| on any desired starting line under the recording The supply roller 39 which receives a roll of recording paper 38 is provided with a lock nut 49 at one end, wherewith the roll of recording paper 38 can be held tightly on the supply roller 39. The latter is removably mounted in suitable bearings 4| and provided with a ange 42. A spring 43 mounted on the base plate 8 and pressing against the periphery of the fiange 42 acts as a brake to prevent the recording paper from being accidentally unwound. The recording paper 38 is perforated at one edge as shown at 44 in Fig. 9, and passed around the recording drum 3| from the bottom to the top as shown in Fig. 3. Spines 45 on the recording drum 3| in Fig. l, corresponding to the perforations 44 in the paper 38 prevent al1 possibilities of slipping between the recording drum 3| and the recording paper 38. From the recording drum 3| the recording paper 38 is led to, and wound up by, the takeup roller, the details of which are illustrated in Figs. 6 and '1. As illustrated there the hub 46 is firmly mounted on the take-up roller shaft 41, and a slotted tube 48 is firmly mounted on a hub 49 at the other end of the take up roller shaft 41. vThe two hubs 46 and 49 can thus be rotated independently of each other. Firmly mounted on the takeup roller shaft 41 within the slotted tube 48 is an arm 50 which supports a slotted sleeve concentrically to the slotted tube 48. If the two slots in the sleeve 5| and the tube 48 be brought in registry, then a strip of paper 38 be inserted into the slots, and

one hub be turned while the other is held rigidly, the paper will be clamped and heldfirmly between the tube 48 and the sleeve 5|. The takeup roller shaft 41 is mountedl in suitable bearings 52 and driven by a spring belt 53 which connects the small pulley 54 on the takeup roller shaft. 41 with a larger pulley 55 on the recording drum shaft 32. The reason for employing pulleys 54 and 55 of different diameters and a spring belt 53 between the two pulleysv is that the right arm of the T-lever 23 slides under and the speed of the takeup roller should be slightly faster than that of the paper 38 as it comes from the recording drum 3|. Thus the paper 38 will be always kept taut, yet excessive or tearing strain will be avoided by the slipping of the spring belt 53 on the pulleys 54 and 55. As the diameter of the recording paper 38 on the takeup roller increases more slippage of the spring belt 53 on the pulleys 54 and 55 will be required.

To hold the recording paper 38 evenly against the recording drum 3| there is employed a paper positioner with a knee bracket 56 freely mounted at each end of the shaft 51. Idle rollers 58 at both terminals of each knee bracket press against the paper 38; and the shaft 51, being mounted on an inclined plane 58 at each end, of said shaft 51, will hold the idle rollers 58 by gravity against the recording paper 38 on the recording drum 3| For the purpose of making desired notation on the recording paper 38, a table 60 is placed under the paper as shown in Fig. 3. This table 60 must be removably mounted in order to permit access to the supply roller 39 underneath. Thev table 60 is therefore slotted at one end as shown in 2 Fig. and'slipped under the head 6| in the bearing Wall 62 (Fig. l). The other end of the table 6|) is perforated as at 63 (Fig. 10) and merely dropped over a pin 64 in the bearing wall 65 (Fig. 1). The cut-away portion 66 in the slotted end of the table furnishes clearance for the hand Wheel 31, and the triangular cut 61 adjacent to the cut-away portion 66 furnishes the clearance for the spines 45 on the recording drum 3|. I

To enclose the vital parts of the recording mechanism in a weather proof manner there are a fixed wall 68 and two pillars 68 mounted on the base plate 8. The. remaining three Walls 10 are held with moisture proof joints to the fixed wall 68and to the pillars 69 by means of screws 1| and the opening at the top is then enclosed by a cover 12 which latter is provided with grooves for the rubber strips 13. These rubber strips 13 press against the top edges of the wall 68 and 10 and thus provide a tight seal. 'I'he cover 12 is held tightly to the top of the walls 68 and 10 by means' of hand screws 14 which enter the top of the pillars69 and the lugs on the fixed wall 68. Although the hand 50 screws 14 are also screwed into the cover 12 itself, the upper portion of the threads on the hand screws 14 is cut away so that the cover 12 can be lifted as soon as the hand screws 14 have been freed from the lugs 15 and the pillars 69, so that there is no possibility of mislaying the handscrews 14 unless they also be screwed out of the cover 12.

The numeral 16 (Fig. '1) indicates the bearing wall for the cable drum 34' and the clock shaft which is a continuation of the recording drum shaft 32. The numeral 11 (Fig. 1) indicates the supporting base for the sprocket chain tensioning device, of which theoscillating arm I3 is a conspicuous member.

In operation, the Weight is vwound upon the cable drum; the supply roller with its roll of recording paper is placed in its bearings; the recording paper is led nrst under and then over the recording drum, care being taken that the spines in the recording drum enter the perforations in the recording paper; the table is placed in position; the paper is drawn over the table and clamped tightly in the takeup roller; the hand wheel on the recording drum is then 75 -ontightlytothetopoi'thewallsandtheapparatus may be lett exposed to the elements without any further care until the cable drum needs rewinding or the recording paper replenishing I claim: 1. In a water level recorder, the of a base plate, a float operated sprocket chain mounted on the base plate, a carrier pin projecting laterallyl from the sprocket chain, rails mounted on the base plate parallel to the sprocket chain, a switch plate at each end vof one rail, a recording carriage movably mounted on the rails, an inverted T-lever pivotally mounted at the backotthe carriageatcycloidal cam pivotally mounted on the stem ot the T- lever and entering a corresponding opening in the recording carriage, the`V horizontal varms of the T-lever being actuated by the switch plates on the rail to produce a cycloidal path for the receptionofthecarrierpin.

2. In a water level recorder, the combination otabaseplaterailsmountedonthebaseplate, switch plates amxed tothe nils, a n0111111! combination carriage movably secured on the rails, a lever pivotally attached to the recording carriage, a cycloidal cam pivotally ailixed to the lever and operably mounted in the recording carriage. said lever being actuated by the switch 'plates on the rail.

3. In a device of the class described a recorder carriage supported for reciprocating motion, a pin entering an opening in said carriage to con- Ytrol the motion thereof, a cam positioned in the said opening to govern the motion of thel pin within the opening, a lever carrying said cam and pivoted to the carriage, and means for operating the lever to positionthe cam within the opening in accordance with the position of the carriage.

4. Inadeviceoftheclass describedarecorder carriagesupported for reciprocating motion, a pinenteringanopeninginsaidcarriagetocontrol the motion thereof, a one piece cam positionedinthesaidopmingtoicrmwithsald opening a cycloidalcam slot to govern the motionotthepinwithintheopeningandmeans for positioning the cam within the opening in accordaneewiththepositionoftheearrlage.

JOHN C.STIVINB. 

